Eight

“So…here we are.” The plane bounced to a stop on the runway, and Justin turned in his seat next to Lance. “This was the longest trip ever, I think.” Lance smiled and nodded. They had been almost inseparable during the remainder of their trip, and Justin’s hearing did not improve. Either did Lance’s feelings for Justin. They kept rumbling to the surface from their place deep in Lance’s heart, and Lance thanked God that Justin couldn’t hear him…he’d definitely hear the emotion and yearning in his voice, Lance just knew it. “So…I need to ask you a favor,” Justin continued in a low voice. Chris and Joey chattered loudly in the row behind them, and JC was still asleep across the aisle. “I…I can’t be alone, Lance.”

Lance had thought about this many times, and realized the truth of it. There was no way Justin could handle being on his own. Many deaf people led normal lives, but Justin’s life was far from normal when he COULD hear. So Lance simply nodded and dug into his pocket.

“What’s this?” Justin looked at the piece of metal Lance had pressed into Justin’s palm. “You…you want me to stay with you?” He fingered the edge of the key. Lance nodded and smiled. “Just for a while,” Justin said. “I have an appointment with a doctor at the hospital tomorrow…maybe he can find out what’s wrong.” Justin’s smile beamed out and he hugged Lance. “God, Lance, thank you SO much. I didn’t want to ask…but I really hoped you of all people would offer.”

“Isn’t that cute?” JC said sleepily. “You two make such a CUTE couple.”

“Will you knock it off?” Lance snapped, turning away from Justin to glare at JC. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were jealous.”

“Of who? You or Justin?” Chris said, chuckling. “Since Justin’s straight and all…I’d have to say he’s jealous of Justin.”

“I’m NOT jealous,” JC said, but he looked away from Lance’s angry glare.

“What the fuck’s your problem?” Lance asked JC. “ARE you jealous? Maybe you’ve had the hots for Justin since he was jailbait, and you can’t handle that maybe he’d want ME?”

“Impossible,” JC scoffed. “Since he’s straight, like Chris said.”

Lance clamped his mouth shut. He would NOT tell Justin’s secret. “Well, for your information, he’s staying with me until he can get to a doctor and find out what’s wrong,” Lance said. “So I don’t want to hear anything else.” Lance glanced at Justin, who was looking at him curiously. “His lip reading’s getting better you know, and he’s not stupid. He can feel that you are upset about something. Quit treating him like a freak.”

“Okay, we’ll just treat him like the spoiled diva he’s always been,” Chris said, picking up his carry-on bag. Lance slapped it out of his hand and Justin jumped.

“And you’re not? I’ve never heard you say that fans are a different breed of people that shouldn’t be trusted? I’ve never heard you whine because the color of paint you want for your new Harley isn’t available when you want it? Get over yourself, Chris. We’re all spoiled divas…but Justin’s the one that everyone notices.” Lance picked up his bag and Justin’s. “C’mon, Justin.”

Justin gave a half-hearted wave at the others and followed at Lance’s heels. “By the looks on their faces, I’d say you just gave them a verbal beat down sandwich…am I right?”

Lance smiled tightly and nodded. “I most certainly did.”

Lance swung open the door of what he considered his best guest room. It had a quiet view of his large backyard, and it was decorated simply and comfortably. He wandered into the adjoining bathroom to make sure there were towels hung up and ready. He jumped when he turned around. Justin was right behind him. “Oh!” Lance said in surprise. “Um, here you go.”

“Thank you.” Justin hugged Lance again and this time Lance shifted uncomfortably. These hugs were getting to be so regular…he could almost get used to them. “I, uh, need to go get some things at my house. Can I use one of your cars?” Lance raised a perfect eyebrow. “Oh, come on, Lance…you’re not gonna tell me I can’t drive?”

“You shouldn’t,” Lance said. Justin pouted and Lance’s heart melted. “Okay…but only because it’s just across town.”

Justin’s smile beamed. “Can I take the Mercedes?”

“No.”

“Okay…I’ll take the Runner, then.” Justin bounced out of the bathroom before Lance could stop him.

Justin soon left the house, after a dozen warnings from Lance to be careful. Lance went up to his own bedroom to unpack, but he soon ended up lying on the bed, surrounded by piles of dirty laundry and socks. How stupid was he? He had been fighting feelings for Justin for YEARS. The whole reason he had come out to the other guys was so he could openly look for someone else and forget about Justin Timberlake as anything more than a bandmate and a best friend. Now he had invited heartbreak to stay at his house for a while.

Lance thought long and hard about Chris, Joey and JC. If one of them had lost their hearing or sight, would he have been so quick to offer his help and his home? For Joey, definitely. Joey was his best friend. JC…probably, though living with JC required a certain type of sainthood quality that Lance didn’t think he possessed. And Chris, well, if no one else would have offered, Lance definitely would have, but it would have been a nightmare. But Lance hadn’t thought twice when it came to Justin. And maybe the reason Lance had gotten so snippy with JC (besides the fact that JC could beat Justin sometimes when it came to being an asshole) was because JC was slightly right…Lance DID have a crush on Justin, and he DID see all this as one big date.

Lance groaned and threw an arm over his face. Life wasn’t fair.

“Hey, Lance, I brought…” Justin smiled as he saw Lance lying amidst his clothing on the bed, one arm thrown across his face.

Lance sat up suddenly, socks flying. “Oh! You’re back. I didn’t even hear you.” That’s because you were too busy daydreaming about him, dumbass, Lance said to himself.

“Here I am,” Justin said, smiling. “I brought a few groceries, too…things I knew you wouldn’t have.”

“Like cereal?” Lance asked, smiling. He got up and helped Justin drag his bags up the steps and into the guestroom.

“Thank you, Lance. No one else even offered, and you offered before I could ask you,” Justin said softly. “After all the bad things I’ve done to you, I…”

“Shh,” Lance said, unconsciously placing a finger over Justin’s lips. “It’s okay, really.”

Justin lightly puckered his lips, letting them softly press against Lance’s finger. Lance yanked the finger away and Justin frowned. “I, uh, sorry.”

“Yeah, well, I’m gonna unpack.” Lance turned and darted from the room.

Justin slowly opened a suitcase. He couldn’t really hear Lance’s tone of voice, but he could read the horror on his face. Justin just hoped he hadn’t offended Lance, but it had felt so right just to kiss that finger. Justin owed Lance so much, not only for what he was doing for him NOW, but for everything Justin had done to him in the last couple of years.

Justin felt a tap on his shoulder and jumped. He turned around to see Lance smiling bashfully. “Sorry,” he read Lance’s lips say. Lance pantomimed showering and Justin nodded. Lance gave him one more shy smile, then left the room.

Justin knew that the reason Lance had told him where he would be was so Justin would know if he ran around the house calling for him and couldn’t find him. Justin thought that was very considerate of Lance, and also very rude, because all Justin could do now was picture Lance in the shower…a mental picture he had never really considered before.

Nine